Tension device for circular-knitting machines.



J. BROWN.

TENSION DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 25. I917.

I 255,,1 5., Patentefi Feb. 5, 1918.

VV itness: Inventor:

j W m.

claimed.

UNITED %TATE% ATENT @EHFTQE.

JAMES BROWN, OF PHILADELPHIA, EENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VENANGO KNITTINGMILLS, INCORPORATED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

TENSION DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

Application filed January 25, 1917. Serial No. 144,504.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improved TensionDevice for Circular Knitting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to circular knitting machines and has moreparticular relation to an extra tension device therefor for placingadditional tension upon yarn when a yarn lever is being put outofaction.

Difficulty has been experienced in practice when shifting yarn leversout of action because of the fact that the ordinary tension devices asused upon knitting machines fail to maintain the yarn in proper relationwith respect to the thread clamp or binder and cutter to insure the yarnbeing-guided accurately beneath the thread, clamp or binder and betweenthe cutter-blades The principal object of the present invention is toovercome the above described disadvantageous features and provide asimple, efficient, reliable and comparatively inexpensive devic forplacing extra tension upon yarns during yarn-lever shifting periods.

Other and further objects reside in the provision of details ofconstruction as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists of the. impr0vements hereinafter described andfinally The nature, characteristic features and scope of the inventionwill be more fully understood from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and. inwhich:

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of suflicient knitting machinestructureto illustrate the application thereto of the tension .device ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tension device.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred byme, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as hereinshown and described.

In the drawings 10 designates a ring-like structure provided with ayarn-lever support 11 provided with yarnlevers 12. Mounted in operativeposition with respect to said r ng are needles 13. Also mounted upon thring 10 is a support 14; which extends within the ring and hasoperatively positioned thereon a yarn clamp or binder 15 and a yarncutter 16. The above described parts are of well known construction andI do not claim the same as part of the present invention except in sofar as these parts are assoand is positioned as near to the yarn-levers12 as possible in order to obtain best results.

That is, the device should be positioned immediately abov the yarnlevers so that the yarn may be guided, without strain, to said device.This device embraces an angular member consisting of a transversesupport or foot portion 17 terminating in a longitudinal extension 18disposed at right angles thereto and extended upwardly and outwardly atan inclination, the parts being preferably formed integral with oneanother. The foot portion is provided with a transverse. elongated slot19 and is secured to the support 11 by means of a screw 20. By reason ofsaid slot the device may be adjusted laterally of the support 11 so thatthe device as a whole may be shifted to a position immediately abovethe'yarn levers. As thus positioned, as is clearly illustrated in Fig.2, the device A is located immediately above the yarn-levers 12 andbelow the yarn guide 21. Upon each side of the extension 18 and at thefree end thereof is a notched portion 21, see Fig. 3, the purpose ofwhich will presently appear.

Also located upon each side of the extension.

3. These free ends 25 terminate at a point immediately adjacent thevupwardly curved part of the extension which joins the foot to theextension proper.

A description will now be given of the mode of operation of thecombination of parts-as above set forth.

In practice lt may be necessary to change :the color of yarn employed orchange the be further assumed that white and blue yarn is to be employedin such knitting.

As an 4 illustration, knitting is taking place with tra tension upon theyarn. 'The blue white yarn, designated a, which yarn passes through yarnguide 21 to and through yarn lever which is in lowered or operativeposition and thence to the needles 13. It will be observed in thisconnection that said white yarn a is runnin free between the extension18 and the flared end 25 .of the spring member 2 1-. It will also beunderstood that the ordinary yarn tension device (not shown) is employedas usual. Let it be assumed now that it be desired to knit with blueyarn, designated 6. The yarn lever 12 (blue yarn) is now lowered toworking position approximately at the same time the yarn lever 12 (whiteyarn) is raised. WVith the lowering of the lever 12" the yarn is causedto pass forward between the extension 18 and the spring member 24 awayfrom the flared end thereof, thus putting exyarn meanwhile by thelifting of the lever 12" is caused to move outward and run freebetweenthe extension 18 and the free end of spring member 24. With theplacing of extra tension upon the white yarn a, no yarn is picked downby the needles so that by the 7 time the needle which in its regulartravel was'the last to pick down yarn reaches first the clamp or binderand then the cutter, said needle has caused yarn to pass beneath thebinder 15 which is freely movable under spring tension and between theblades of the cutter 16. Meanwhile, it will be understood that the yarn6 (blue) whichpreviously had been held by binder is being picked up bythe needles andfilrnitting with blueyarn-is under way, itbeingunderstood that such 37 .1115; is running free under flaring end 25 50:

ofspring member-12. -Withthe feeding of whit -yarn to the binder andcutter well known mechanism has operated the cutter 16 tovsever thesame, the binder of course maintaining the yarn in proper position andthe 55.,

tained under tension. It willof course be yarn lever 12 being raisedsaid yarn is mainnnderstood that all .of the above operations are timedto coact at the proper-moment and -Which-operating mechanism forms nopart 'above operation is repeated to put out of ac tion the blue yarnlever and throw into ac- :tion nthe white yarn lever as will be readilyunderstood without "further description.

lies the yarn passes between the spring memher 2%% and the extension 18lint and the In order that such dirt may be readily cleaned from thedevice,a suitable tool may be inserted in an aperture 21,, before de'scribed, and moved between a spring and the extension and toward thefoot 17 It will now be apparent that I have clevised a novel and usefulconstruction-which embodies the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable inthestatement of-the invention and theabove, description andwhile I have in the present instanceshown and described the preferredembodiment thereof which; has been found in, practice to givesatisfactory andreliable results,'i-itis to be understood that the sameis susceptible of modification in various particulars With- .outdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing anyof I its advantages.

What I claim is: e V V 1. A device of the character stated comprisingatransversely disposed support having a similarly disposed slottherethrou'gh' to accommodate means for effecting lateral adjustment ofthe device, a longitudinally extended member projected from said-supportand a leaf spring fixed tothe free end of said member uponeach sidethereof and disposed in substantially abutting, parallel relationtherewith throughout the major portionlof itsextent.

2. A device of'the character stated comprlsing a transve rsel'y,disposed support having a similarly disposed slot therethrough toaccommodate means for effecting lateral adjustment of the'device, amember projected from said. support in an upwardly and-1onhgitudinallyextended manner and a leaf spring secured to the free end of said memberupon each side thereof inparall'el-ism therewith, the free ends of saidsfprings beingflared, V

A device of the character stated co nprising a transversely disposedsupport having a similarly disposed slot therethrough to accommodatemeans for effecting lateral ad- 'justment of. the device, an upwardlyand longitudinally extended membe-i'nprqjejfited fromrsaid support and aleaf spring secured to. the free end-0f said member uponeach sidethereof, each spring being in substantially abutting parallel relationwith said member throughout the major port'i'onof its extent, the freeends of said springsbeing flared. 1

4. A device of the character stated comprising a transversely disposedsupport having a similarly disposed slot therethroughto accommodatemeansfor effecting lateraladyustment of the device, an upwardly andlongitudinally extended member projected tent, the free ends of saidsprings being 10 from said support, the op osite sides of flared.

which member are notched a jacent the free In testimony whereof, I havehereunto end thereof and a leaf spring rigidly sesigned my name. 5 curedto said free end of said member and beyond said notches upon each sideof said member, each spring being in substantially Witnesses:

abutting, parallel relation with said mem- WILLIAM J. JACKSON,

ber throughout the major portion of its ex- HELEN M. BYRNE.

JAMES BROWN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "@ommissloner or Eatente.

Washington, D. G.

